Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH): Celebrating 30 Years

In 1998, four mental health institutions united to create the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), sparking a transformation that would change the trajectory of mental healthcare in Canada. At its heart was 999 Queen Street, a facility shrouded in stigma, where entering its gates symbolized shame. The challenge was clear: to build an institution that treated mental health and addiction with dignity, innovation, and hope.

What followed was a groundbreaking reimagining of care, community, and culture. For the first time, mental health and addiction services were integrated, creating a holistic approach to recovery. CAMH became one of only four World Health Organization-recognized centers of excellence in mental health and addictions care worldwide—an achievement that positioned Canada as a leader in addressing one of the most pressing global health challenges.

Working with CEO Dr. Paul Garfinkel and his team, StrategyCorp played a pivotal role in this transformation, helping to frame the vision, creating a government relations strategy to bring it to life, and working to remove obstacles throughout. Between 1999 and 2005, StrategyCorp led the overall government relations strategy for CAMH and delivered key wins:

• Advocating to increase the base operating funding to bring CAMH in line with other hospitals.
• Negotiating the purchase of the 24-acre Queen Street site from the Crown, by proposing an innovative mechanism to safeguard the site for public use, to allow the lands to be purchased for a symbolic sum—a testament to creative problem-solving and an unwavering commitment to public good.
• Secured the commitment of the government of Ontario to fund the redevelopment of the site.

The physical transformation of CAMH became a powerful metaphor. The bricks of a 19th-century wall around the Site, once a barrier symbolizing isolation, was repurposed into a pathway, embodying healing, inclusion, and hope. While there remains much to do to improve mental health and addictions care, this act of renewal was a turning point in reshaping perceptions of mental health in Canada.

Today, CAMH stands as a beacon of possibility, driving advances in care and research, and championing the reduction of stigma too often associated with mental health and addictions issues research, while inspiring similar transformations across the country. It redefined a neighborhood, brought life to a neglected corner of Toronto, and placed Canada at the forefront of global mental health leadership. CAMH’s legacy proves that meaningful change is possible when bold ideas and compassionate action come together.